KPK to Use New COVID-19 Kits to Enhance Testing Capacity
by Hamna Bano
SHARES
To conduct the tests of suspected people rapidly and conveniently, the KP Health Department has planned to increase the screenings of COVID-19 patients. This has also been decided to know the exact prevalence of the virus among people.
Officials said that “as per the present mechanism, samples from the suspected patients were collected only in the designated centers and hospitals. It delayed detection of patients.”
National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has donated 10,00 rapid antigen kits to the health department. These kits are a lot better than the existing ones. The health department has decided to implement the new technology where individuals will be able to conduct their own tests. This new technology can provide you with results within 10 minutes.
According to a report issued by the health department, there were 18 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Monday. Now the total positive cases have risen up to 220,526 since the start of the pandemic. And out of these 6,326 have died.
The total number of COVID-19 tests reported in Pakistan in the last 24 hours is 21,264 taking the positivity ratio to 2.78%.
COVID-19 Statistics 20 July 2022
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 21,264
Positive Cases: 592
Positivity %: 2.78%
Deaths: 07
Patients on Critical Care: 174
— NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) July 20, 2022
Officials added, “introduction of spit test antigen kits was needed to enhance screening and know the clear picture regarding the prevalence of coronavirus. Presently, the positivity rate is 2.8 percent but only 658 tests are conducted.”
The public health laboratories are issued letters by the health department at the district level. This is being done to enhance the screening, but the total number of tests has stayed at 2000 during the past week.
“The province recorded fatalities from the virus on July 8 and 17. They said that those deaths were recorded after April 4. They said that the department wanted to increase the level of screening, especially in Peshawar, Malakand, Mardan, Nowshera, Upper Dir, and Chitral Lower as more cases were detected in those areas” added the officials.
